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Here’s some good news for the fans of our contributing writer K. A. Walker, author of the series Hide and I’ll Seek. She’s gone off to college at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP), and is a contributing script writer for a series on the college’s cable network. She writes for Sketch O Phrenia, a comedy sketch show that focuses on the humor of everyday situations. The show is popular on the school campus and labeled on its Twitter as “the best comedy show since 2012.”

K. A. Walker sent in her first skit production that was premiered on the college series last week. “Trouble on Valentine’s Day” focuses on the possible worst nightmare of someone who’s considered deeply in love. That nightmare being forgetting about Valentine’s day. The skit follows a boy who forgets that it’s Valentine’s Day. He must figure how to please his girlfriend at the last-minute while not having money to give her what he believes is the best day of his girlfriends life.

We’re very proud of K. A. Walker’s first production at this University. We hope that she continues to strive and do her best while perfecting her skills in screen writing.

To keep up with IUP’s Sketch O Phrenia series, subscribe to the school’s SketchOPhrenia IUP channel on YouTube. To read more of K. A. Walker’s work, read her teen horror series Hide and I’ll Seek on Doc’s Castle Media.

Aston sat in his room in the dark, just thinking about how much he spent in his room. Everyday Aston tries to not think about that horrible day in his past. But all he seemed to do was think about it. He thought about how vulnerable he was that day and how he never wanted to experience it again. But whenever he went to sleep, those experiences fell into his dreams over and over. Constantly, He’d dreamed about the fire that burned one of the tortured victims, Peace, alive, he dreamed of the balls which fell from the ceiling in the school’s hallways, he dreamed about the blinking on-and-off lights in the hallways that made him experience darkness and fear, he dreamed of the bullet wounds on his hand and his arms from his encounters that day, and the lastly he dreamed about Roxie. Even though Roxie and him went through the same things together and knew she was only a victim, he didn’t want to think or see her. She was a part of his past and his past was packed with horrid imagery of a that day. It would be better if he’d just forget about it.

Aston was on his way to dozing off, probably to only be awaken by another nightmare. But his alarm clock woke him up and he had to get ready to work with his father. He got out of bed and took his shower. Then after his shower, he went to the kitchen to find two suitcases by the fridge. Then he looked at the fridge confused.

“Dad!” he called out. He moved the suitcases so he could grab some milk for his cereal. As his father walked into the kitchen, he saw Aston found the suitcases.

Steve didn’t want to tell Aston what was next, but Steve knew that what he was doing for Aston was the right thing to do.

“Aston, I packed those bags for you,” Aston eyes grew wide, thinking of his father sending him back to his mother, back to Portland. Steve saw Aston face. “No, it’s not that. Aston, I’m sending you to get some help. Son, you have to learn how to control your grief or all you will ever do is worry.”

Aston looked at his father not knowing what to say. He didn’t want to leave or experience another change after he had become comfortable living in Texas.

“Where will I be going?” Aston asked his father without looking into his eyes. He felt betrayed all over again. Instead of it being his friend this time, it was his own flesh and blood.

“You will be going to a camp called Herewood Recovery Camp. The camp is in Idaho Panhandle National Forest. You’ll be living there for a month. You leave tomorrow morning around 9 am.”

Aston looked at his father with such sorrow. He couldn’t believe he being sent to some crazy camp in the woods with crazy, idiotic people. “So you were just going to bail on me like that, without giving it a second thought?” He asked his father. His father looked at him with a straight face. Aston noticed that his father and him were the same height, 5 foot and 11 inches. They both had piercing brown eyes and a stern expression.

“You’re going to leave me in the middle of the woods with strange ‘recovering’ people and expect me to change how I feel about three psychopaths that kept me hostage in my old high school? Dad, if you really think this will change how I am, then you must have lost your mind…just like me,” Aston walked away after he told his father how he felt. He went into his room, laid on his bed facing the ceiling, and took a deep breath. He knew there was no way of getting out of this and he realized he didn’t have the energy to care anymore. He fell into a deep sleep afterward.

* * *

Roxie walked into the advising office at UCLA, she needed to schedule an appointment with her adviser so she could set-up her a schedule for the fall semester. She knew she had to do it but she didn’t want to. She was actually rethinking going to college, she hated being in lecture halls listening to professors lecture their lessons. She always started daydreaming. When she’d daydreamed, things in her mind begin to surface and always go to that day she hated to remember. Roxie didn’t like it but the only way she could make something of herself is if she went to college. She didn’t want to turn out being like her parents, with no higher education.

“Roxie, I’m so glad you’re here, Can you please come into my office?” Roxie’s adviser Mr. Charles said. Roxie walked into his office and she sat in one of the chairs opposite of Mr. Charles’ desk.

“Mr. Charles, I just want to say I know I haven’t been proficient in school and the school is thinking of getting rid of my scholarship, but I think after the summer sessions, I should be fine, and I’ll be ready to start focusing on my studies,” Roxie explained to her advisor. She really didn’t know if she’d be ready after the summer session. But she knew that she didn’t want to get kicked out of school, not yet at least.

Mr. Charles looked at Roxie and saw the pain she went through. The school wanted to give her a second chance. But they didn’t know if she could ever come back from what she went through. The school gave Mr. Charles the control of Roxie’s fate. Mr. Charles knew Roxie was bright. Also, he knew that he didn’t want her to give up on her future. Mr. Charles was giving her this last opportunity to forget about what happened and move on.

“Roxie, the school and I have decided to give you a second chance. But you have to do something for us in return.” Roxie watched him as he reached into the first drawer of his desk and grabbed a pamphlet. Roxie saw the pamphlet’s title which said “Herewood Recovery Camp.” Then Mr. Charles offered Roxie a smile. “Roxie, the only way to forget about what happened in your past is if you finally grieve and mourn about it. You have to reach recovery or the school won’t give you the scholarship and they will kick you out. Roxie, you are required to go to this camp in Idaho or you won’t be going to UCLA.”

Roxie looked at Mr. Charles with so much shock. She felt outraged but knew that wouldn’t help her situation if she acted upon it. She felt like a sponge with all the emotion she wanted to let out being sucked in all the time. She also felt like a kid again. People were making decision for her that she believed would cause more conflict and disorder.

“Mr. Charles, I can’t go… I can’t go in the middle of nowhere and expect to be so open with my problems. How am I supposed to get to Idaho? I expect the school will just pay for my expenses, or am I suppose to dip into the lovely trust fund my drunk, idiot parents left me?” Roxie asked with a hint of sarcasm at the end. She hated the control that almost everybody seems to have on her. The only way she could express her feelings was if she hurt someone else’s.

“Your boyfriend Michael has volunteered to take care of your expenses to Idaho. You leave tomorrow around ten, both of you. Pack your bags. Ms. Roxie, you have a long summer ahead of you.” Mr. Charles replied quickly, he grabbed his briefcase and left his office. Roxie was shocked at what he told her.

Michael is in on his she thought.

“This is the time for second chances Roxie.” Mr. Charles whispered. Roxie scowled at the statement. Mr. Charles left his office and Roxie finally understood that she was and always will be…alone.

Did you read Survival of the Unworthy’s prequel, Hide and I’ll Seek? Chapter 1 of Survival of the Unworthy is below.

Aston looked into his father eyes, the man who claimed to know him, the man who he was supposed to trust the most, and the man who always swore to protect him. But as Aston looked into his eyes for some reason, he just saw a stranger. Aston and his father Steve sat at their wooden table in their brightly lit kitchen eating cereal and drinking coffee. The day was a good summer day but all Aston wanted to do was eat his cereal and work at the construction site that his father was in charge of fixing. He knew this was the best that his life was going to get after his high school year. A life of eating soggy cereal and working on fixing buildings with a whole bunch of sweaty guys as he waits for his life to be over. Aston could never do anything better because the only thought he ever had was about that day at Portland Valley High and the fear that he developed from it.

Steve looked at his son. He understood the burden that his son carried because of what Aston’s mother told him of that day. He just didn’t believe that Aston would never be the way he used to be. His prankster, always laughing, son rarely cracked a smile anymore. Ever since his son moved to Texas with him, all Aston did was eat, stare, and work at the construction site. He barely graduated high school because he never did his work and he would disagree with his teachers far too much. Steve was looking at the newspaper trying to avoid Aston’s eyes but he knew that he would have to do something for his son, eventually.

“Aston, Ms. Angie invited you and me to hang out with her and her daughter on Saturday. You want to go?” Steve asked his son. Angie was the woman who Aston father’s was currently dating. She had a daughter the same age as Aston. Steve wanted Aston to do something with his life. Aston stares at his father blankly not really caring about what Ms. Angie did or didn’t do. He knew Ms. Angie was scared of him.

“I’m okay Dad, just tell Ms. Angie I said, ‘no thanks’,” Aston said with a bored tone. Aston didn’t want to hang out with anybody because then he’d have to talk to people and he didn’t want to share anything about his life. Steve began to get frustrated with his son.

“I can’t do this Aston! You don’t want to do anything and you don’t talk about anything. Son, you have yet to show any emotion ever since that… that day, not even bad emotions. You’re scaring everybody away even your mother,” Steve yelled at Aston. Aston looked at his father and stood up from the table.

“AND WHAT DO YOU SUPPOSE I DO, DAD! CRY ABOUT EVERYONE THAT DIED THAT DAY, CRY ABOUT HOW I GOT SHOT TWICE THAT DAY, CRY ABOUT BEING SCARED AND AFRAID OF ACTUALLY TALKING TO PEOPLE BECAUSE I CAN’T TRUST ANYBODY OR CRY ABOUT HOW MY MOTHER WON’T EVEN LOOK AT ME BECAUSE SHE IS SCARED OF HER SON AND CAN’T RECOGNIZE HIM?!” Aston yelled.

“Exactly, where is the son that I used to know?” Steve said calmly surprised at how Aston reacted. “You need to talk to someone about what happen or it’ll be stuck on your mind and you will harm yourself or even worse…”

“Dad, it doesn’t matter what I do.” Aston interrupted. “It will always be there. The Aston that you used to know, doesn’t exist so you might as well leave it alone. I’m sorry, I’m such a disappointment and a burden,” Aston left the kitchen leaving his father tear-eyed.

* * *

Roxie gives up and Mr. Boris points his gun to Roxie’s head. Tears run down Roxie’s eyes as she closes them. She knows this is her last day, last hour, and last-minute. Roxie hears the gunshot knowing what comes after. Expecting Mr. Boris to be dead, she opens her eyes believing to see the police officer that saved her life that day at Portland Valley High, but what she finds is Mr. Boris still pointing the gun in front of her head. She sees Warren at her left side with the gun pressed upon her forehead. Roxie breathed intensely, starting to hyperventilate. Why isn’t Mr. Boris dead? Roxie hears another gunshot and her left shoulder starts to burn. She looks to see blood spill from the bullet wound in her shoulder. Then She looks up at Warren and sees his devious smile. She hears a second gunshot and her upper chest begins to ache. She screams, screams for help but nobody helps her. Mr. Boris’ gun is smoking and still pointed in Roxie’s direction. Roxie screams, “No!” But he not listening. Why isn’t she dead yet? Mr. Boris begins moving towards Warren when Roxie notices a shadow coming her way. She screams help but when she sees the shadow, she notices who the shadow is and knows there is no hope of getting out of this. The silhouette comes in front of Roxie and stabs her directly in the chest through her bullet wound. Then the silhouette places its mouth upon her ear.

“I’m coming,” it whispers and then shows its face. Mace. Mace then twists the knife in Roxie’s chest.

Roxie woke up gasping for air after her nightmare. She sat up in her bed and looked around her room for anything suspicious.

“Roxie, Baby what’s wrong?” Roxie boyfriend Michael asked. Michael sat up from the bed and grabbed Roxie’s waist. Roxie couldn’t seem to answer her boyfriend, the dreams she had felt so real and she was so stunned from it. Michael began to call Roxie’s name but she didn’t answer. Roxie felt on her chest and shoulder to see if they were bleeding but felt nothing. She sighed in relief and then got out of the bed. She looked at her boyfriend Michael, he looked worried.

“I’m okay. I had a bad dream, that’s all,” Roxie finally replied before Michael could say anything else. Roxie sped walked to the bathroom. She looked at herself in the mirror. Roxie didn’t even look the same from a year ago. Roxie had dyed her brown hair to a pitched black. She never wore her hair curly and long anymore, only short and straight. Her usual smile that she used to wear was replaced with a stern look. Lastly, her eyes that used to light up the room was now dulled and mysterious.

Roxie stared at her two tattoos. She got her tattoos when she came to California, one tattoo was a flower blooming on the inner part of her arm. Her second was a huge tattoo that went from her left shoulder and swirled around her body to her right knee that quoted, “20 people dead. One thing I can prove is I don’t need saving, what I need is to face my long-awaited death.”

Roxie knew she changed but she didn’t know how to change back and she didn’t want to. Roxie knew that the only thing she would ever think about is that day. She walked back into her bedroom to see Michael getting dressed for work. He worked as a mechanic at a little mechanic shop while he paid for college. Roxie moved into his apartment with him because UCLA didn’t pay for her room and board anymore.

As she looked at Michael, she didn’t know if she loved him or not. She knew the reason she started dating him was because of his looks. He had perfect, smooth, curly hair that only covered the top of his head, dark chocolate-brown eyes, he was tall, and muscular. He had the nonchalant attitude that she was looking for at the time and he had caramel skin just like her. As the months gone by, he started losing the nonchalant attitude and started to care for her. She didn’t like that because he started asking questions about her life and about her parents. He found out about that day and confronted her, too. But she blew it off and exploded on him for bringing it up. He never brought it up again and she was glad he didn’t. She knew she like Michael because he was cool and was there for her, but that was it. She didn’t love him at all.

“Do you want to go with me to the shop today?” Michael asked. She smiled at him.

“No, I rather not be around people today,” she replied.

“Baby, I’m worried about you. For the past month, you haven’t wanted to see anybody. You keep waking up gasping for air, you’re on academic probation at UCLA, and you look at me like something wrong. Are you okay? Is it because of that day?”

Roxie looked at him with such anger and disdain. She didn’t want to be mad at him but that day, thinking about that day made her angry.

“I don’t want to talk about this,” Roxie whispered.

“You’re going to have to talk about this sooner or later. If not me, then a therapist, our adviser at school, your aunt…SOMEBODY!” Roxie was beyond pissed now. So pissed that she threw her alarm clock at the mirror and broke the glass.

“I DON’T NEED HELP AND I DON’T NEED TO TALK TO SOMEONE! DON’T EVER TALK ABOUT THAT DAY AGAIN!” Roxie yells. She was breathing hard and Michael just gave her a startled look. Roxie looked at the mirror, broken glass everywhere and then she ran into the bathroom.

In Portland, Oregon, May 2012, two juniors, Roxie and Aston, were able to escape with their life from three psycho killers, Warren, Mace, and Portland Valley High’s Guidance Counselor, Mr.Boris. After the death of 20 people, Roxie and Aston have finally escaped, but did they survive? Living miles away from each other , with Aston living in Texas, and Roxie living in Sunny California, The two should finally be able to have peace but for some reason the two can never forget the events that took place at Portland Valley High that day. They dwell on the past and frighten their families so much that the people they love send them to a camp to discuss their problems at HereWood Recovery Camp. Roxie and Aston are now forced to talk about that day with others that suffer just like them, and it scares them to have to discuss their problems.

Soon talking about their problems won’t be the only thing that they have to deal with. There’s another game. Roxie and Aston, are again the main characters. This time the game is based on revenge and we all know who is out to get them, Mace. With new players they can’t trust and a new dangerous location, Aston and Roxie need each other more than ever. One thing that is different about this game is that it’s not about saving and finding others, it’s all about surviving.

Aston looked at Mace in the corner of his eye with shock. She had a gun pointed to the side of his forehead. He turned to face her. She looked horrible. She had patches of bald spots in her hair, dried up blood on her arm, her face, and legs but somehow the most horrible thing Aston could see on her was her smile. Her smile was so devious.

“Mace, What?…when?…Why are you doing this?” Aston said. He didn’t even know what to think. I mean she used to talk about hurting people in the school, but he definitely remembers her not doing anything about it until now.

“Aston, Aston, Aston, so courageous but so stupid. Do you know how much I had to suffer in this school for three years? Warren and I?” She pointed to Warren when she said that and I notice that Warren had his gun up to Roxie head. For some reason, Roxie didn’t look as terrified. “Our parents don’t care for us and never did. They treat us like animals. My mother went crazy, she has been on suicide watch for three years. Plus my father doesn’t love me. He doesn’t even want to see me so I decide to do something that makes them feel horrible for how they had treated me. I going to show them how crazy a child can get when they are left alone.”

Aston stared at Mace and finally realizes how insane this girl is.

“Mace, do you realize how mess up that is? You and your little crew over there killed about 20 people tonight just so you can get back at your parents?” Aston asked furiously to Mace. Mace laughed and her laugh was so sinister that Aston had to back up a bit. Mace stopped laughing and uses the clip to place the bullets in her gun. Aston had so many feeling going through his system; he was afraid, angry, hurt and detached. Aston thought it might have been his time so he closed his eyes.

“So the people who were after us the entire night was Mace, Warren and some creep guy? The main question here is who can the creep be?” Aston heard Roxie say. Mace took the gun off Aston’s head and walk towards the other side of Aston where Roxie was. “Aston, I don’t know why it took me this long to find out. There is only one mutual friend that Mace and Warren have in common.”

Aston thought to himself, Who can it be? And then it all came back to him. He remembered when Mace used to say Warren and her always had to meet with the guidance counselor. He remembered her saying how her guidance counselor always wanted her to talk about her parents.

“Mr. Boris?” Aston yelled out and the creep took of his mask.

“Wow, Roxie you are so smart. It’s just sad that you’re too late.” The creep, who was now revealed as Mr. Boris, said.

“Well done with corrupting their minds! Your job was to help them work on their struggles that they had with their parents. Instead you encouraged them into becoming psychopaths .” Roxie yelled at Mr. Boris. Mr. Boris had a devious smile on his face, similar to what Mace had.

“I didn’t do this to them, they were meant to become what they are today. You can’t repair a mind that’s already broken, nobody helped me with mines. I had the worst family, my father left my mother with five children. My mother was a drug addict, addicted to PCP where I saw her cut out my brother and sister own tongues. The people in my community called me names and didn’t want to hang around me because of my mother. They threw things at me, called me names, and would beat me every day. She ruined my life! I had to change what was happening to me. So one day when she was high, I decided I couldn’t take it anymore. I told her I wanted to play a game. Yes, she played the game, alright. The game had its rules. She had to go in the house and search for all of the lighters she had in laying around the house. She knew exactly where all of them were. They were all in the kitchen draw. I told her if she finds them, she can have some of my cigarettes. She went to the house and grabbed each of her lighters. I left the cigarettes on the kitchen table but what she didn’t know is that I disconnected the gas to the stove. She burned that day alive and I watch my house crumble. I never regretted it. I’ve helped every student that has come to me their problems. Especially those with issues similar to mine. I’ve worked at five schools and none of my students have gotten caught. There has never been any survivors.” Mr. Boris and Warren pointed the gun at Roxie. Aston didn’t make a sound but he knew what he was going to do. He snatch Mace’s gun and shot her in the leg. Mace screamed and fell to the ground. Mr. Boris and Warren looked at Mace while Aston grabbed Roxie by the hand so they could run.

Mr. Boris started shooting at them but they ran fast enough to be out of the tunnels light. Aston and Roxie tried to run as fast as he can but Roxie could barely run because of her twisted angle, Aston blood was leaking by the second and he was becoming a little droopy, and they couldn’t see where they were going.

“Roxie, do you still have your little flashlight?” Aston slurred his whisper. Aston could hear Roxie feeling on her leg and then he felt something fall into his hand. Before he turned the flashlight on, he had smelled the worst stench he had ever smelled.

“Roxie, do you smell that?” Aston asked. He turned on the flashlight and Aston saw 12 dead bodies and rats eating the guts. Roxie covered her mouth and Aston just threw up.

“Roxie, we have to walk around it so we can get out of here,” Aston said.

“I rather die,” Roxie said, but then Aston grabbed her arm with his one good arm and walked around the rats. The rats weren’t bothering them at all. They just enjoyed the meal that was presented to them. Aston flashed the light on the bodies. The tunnel straight ahead was completely dark.

“Roxie, look! It’s a cell phone,” Aston said. The cell phone was near a puddle of blood with rats everywhere. He shushes the rats away and reaches through the blood for the cell phone. Then he recognizes the person that was dead. She died tonight when the shooting massacre happened. The cell phone had 2 bars for battery life but no reception. Maybe it was because they were in a tunnel. Aston gave Roxie the flashlight while he used the cell phone searching for bars. They walk through the tunnel but Aston couldn’t get anything, no reception at all. He finally got a faint reception but he needed to get to higher ground.

“Aston, look there’s a tunnel opening and a ladder.” Roxie announced. He saw the ladder and the tunnel. The ladder was a little high to reach and he knew he couldn’t lift up Roxie with one arm so he started climbing the ladder.

“Shine the flashlight on me,” Aston said. She did what he told her but she couldn’t hold a steady grip. The flashlight kept on moving. Aston saw that he was getting more bars when he climbed higher. He finally had enough bars to call the police. He dialed 911. The phone rang for at least 5 times.

“Hello,can you please help us. We are being chase in an underground tunnel by three serial killers. They killed many people at Portland Valley High, and they are still chasing us. We don’t know where we are but we have to be somewhere near Chinatown.” Aston shouted.

“Wait, sir. I’m going to try to locate your call.”

“Hurry because they are coming after—.” Aston didn’t get to finish because he got shot in his hand and he fell to the ground. He fell unconscious. Roxie ran to him when she saw Warren and Mr. Boris walking towards her.

“It’s a shame you couldn’t have joined us, Roxie. Your family is just as messed up as ours but–,” Mr. Boris said as he stepped on the cell phone.

“Well, you’re mother is a prostitute and your father’s a drunk. They killed your brother but the social worker kept you in their custody. They deserved to die more than you, you can join us, get rid of that frustration and make them pay for your brother.”

Roxie didn’t say anything. Roxie was slowly reaching for the gun that Aston had in his pocket but it wouldn’t come out. Roxie gave up and Mr. Boris put his gun up to Roxie’s head. Tears went down Roxie’s eyes and she begins to close them. Roxie heard a gunshot thinking she was dead but then she heard a body drop.

“Hands in the air! Put your hands in the air now!” A stern voice yelled. Roxie’s opened her eyes and saw all of the flashlights and guns. It was the police! The police shot Mr. Boris in the back and was handcuffing Warren.

“Excuse me miss, are you and your friend alright?” The police officer said.

“If you can get us to a hospital, we will be.” Roxie said with a smile and she finally breathed out a sigh or relief. She looked at the police officer’s cell phone on the side of his belt.

6am

(8 months later)

Roxie was coming home for her winter break in UCLA. She didn’t want to come back here. It brings so many memories that she wanted to forget. She didn’t want to see her mother and father, any of her dead friends, and she never wanted to step in Portland Valley High school, again. She went where any college student would go on their winter break: the mall.

She walked in the mall. It was empty even though it was around Christmas time. Maybe it was because she was there at exactly when it opened, 10am on Wednesday morning. She looked in the stores but didn’t buy anything. She didn’t want to be here in Portland but it was all for her aunt. She was in the food court when she saw somebody that she never thought she would see again. It was Aston. He spotted her too and stared at her from across the food court. Ever since that unforgettable day, Aston moved with his father in Texas. Roxie heard he was trying to convince his mother to move down there, too. Aston walked over to Roxie, and Roxie walked closer to Aston.

“Hey,” Aston said. He gave her a hug. She started the hug jumpy and frightened. But then she thought of Aston as that person who protected her and she sank into his arms. They separated and Roxie looked at his hand to see that the bullet wound from that night was still imprinted on his skin.

“Hopefully, we can finally have peace.” Aston said but he sounded hesitant because both of them still knew one was still out there, and they probably would never have peace until that person was dead.

“Hello,” somebody called out again. Aston was following the voice but when he looked around, all he saw was cameras and TVs. Aston wondered what room he was in.

“Can somebody help me?” The voice screamed. Aston was looking around but he wasn’t getting anywhere.

“Tell me, Where you are?” Aston replied. Aston stopped walking. He didn’t know if this was a trap or not. Will saving this person led to their death or will he end up getting killed?

“Aston, is that you?” Aston jumped to the sound of his name. He wondered if it was Roxie. “It’s Mace, please help me. I’m in the closet.”

Aston couldn’t leave Mace. She needed his help. He walks towards the closet. If Mace was in here, he knew the killer wouldn’t be far away. Before he opened the closet, he checked the room to make sure he didn’t see any people or surprises that might come up in the room. He opened the closet and saw what was left of Mace. Mace had cut marks all around her body, most of her piercings was ripped and they left big bloody holes around her face and body, her eyes and lips was swollen, and patches of her hair was gone. The killer took out everything original about Mace and turned her into the frighten freshman she used to be.

“Aston,” she said breathlessly. She looked horrible and Aston wishes he had come earlier. A chain hung her on the wall and it looked like it needed a key.

“Wait here, I’m going to see if I can find a key.” Aston told Mace.

“You have to hurry. He’s coming back and he will kill or torture you if he finds out you are in here.”

“Do you know who he is?” Aston asked her.

Mace started to cry so Aston went to look for the keys in the room. Aston checks every area in the room and then he looked in the cabinets and drawers. He found a draw with a floot of keys. He grabbed the entire draw to see if any of the keys would unlock the door. He tried the keys but none of the keys worked.

Aston felt like he was going to scream. The creep would be there any minute and Aston couldn’t help Mace or himself. He also lost Roxie and felt like he betrayed her.

“It’s Okay, Aston. You’re doing the best you can.” Mace said.

“But it’s not good enough… not good…” Aston rant was cut short when he looked to the right of Mace and saw a key. He grabbed the key slowly and put it in the lock. The chain had unlocked and Mace fell to the floor. Aston gave her one of his arms to help her up but then a bullet went right into his arm. Aston yelled out in pain and Mace covered his mouth with her hand. He saw the blood dripping down her arms and then he looked at his arm and saw the blood flowing down his arm, too.

“We can’t say anything. We have to be absolutely quiet if we want to get out of here, alive.” Mace said but the Aston pointed to his arm and the blood continued pouring out. Mace left Aston where he was and tried to find something to wrap around his arm. She found a rag. She put the rag on his wound and tied it really tight. He wince and knew it would hurt but he push the feeling away. He stood up and told Mace to follow him.

Aston didn’t know where to go, but he knew he couldn’t leave yet.

“We can’t leave until we find Roxie.” Aston told Mace before they had stepped out of the door. Mace look at him like that was the worst idea.

“Aston, do you even know if she still alive?”

“I don’t know but I’m not leaving until I see her.” Aston walks through the hallways. He watches where he was going and made sure he didn’t run into Warren or the creep. Mace stood on his side not leaving him at all. She was really frightened. He knew he had to try to save her. Nothing was happening in the hallways. There was no screaming, no lights flickering, and no balls. It was only darkness.

Aston notices a flashlight coming this way. He didn’t know who it was so he pulled Mace into a corner. He saw the body and it was a body of a female. He thought it was Roxie.

“Roxie?” He whispered. Roxie turned around and look behind them. She looks in the corner and saw Aston and Mace. She smiled when she saw Aston and gave him a hug. He lifted her up. Mace just was looked down the hallway.

“I know you guys are glad to see each other but if you want to see each other one more time, I suggest we find a way out of here,” Mace whispered. Aston put Roxie down. They started walking down the hallway.

“Aston, I found a way out. I don’t know where it leads, but I know it might get us out of here.” Roxie said as she watched her back and front.

“Where?” Aston asked.

“By the nurses office, there is a tunnel. I think that’s where the creep was stashing the bodies and Warren is definitely working with the bad guy so we don’t have to look for him.”

“Where do the tunnels go?”

“Remember in History when we learned about the Shanghai tunnels, also known as Portland Underground,” Roxie said, but Aston and Mace didn’t know what she was talking about. Roxie rolled her eyes. “The tunnels connect all around the city and go up around Chinatown. All we have to do is make it to Chinatown and then we can call the police.”

Aston nodded “Well, we better move fast because we want to get out of here before they notice.”

Roxie, Aston, and Mace ran to the nurse’s office. This was the first time Aston saw this hole.. It was shape in a square and had a heavy door.

“Aston and Mace take the ladder.” Roxie said. Aston made Mace go first. He saw Roxie feeling on her ankle.

“What happen?” he asked her.

“Fell trying to run away. What happen to your arm?”

“Got shot trying to help Mace.” Roxie patted Aston on his back and told him to go through the tunnel. Then Roxie went.

“I never thought you would find this tunnel but Roxie you are smarter than you look.” Roxie look over to see who said that but she already knew. It was the creep and Warren holding up guns. Mace had her hands up but Aston only had one hand up because he couldn’t put the other one up. Roxie put her hands up and put on her evil smile.

“And Aston, you saved Ms. Marcena. I have to give you credit; you have a lot of courage. You could have been apart of our team but instead we are going to kill you.” The creep said. Warren raised the gun up to Roxie’s head. Roxie stared at the gun and begin to breathe hard.

“Don’t Kill her or Mace. Kill me first.” Aston said. He looked at Roxie and she look at him. She had a tear come down her eyes. Aston closed his eyes and dreamed that his death will be quick not slow and painful.

“That was the idea Aston.” Aston was shock to hear that the comment came from a girl’s mouth. He opens his eyes and saw Roxie in terror. He turned to his left and saw Mace pointing a gun at Aston forehead with a smile on her face.

Aston looked out of the corner and saw that the machine gun on the wall was out of bullets. He crawled out of the corner, where he was hiding, because he didn’t really know if the machine guns would come on or not. He had to find Roxie and they had to get out of the school. He wanted to save Mace but there was no chance he was even going to survive the next two riddles. He barely survived this one.

Aston headed for the door that he saw Warren and Roxie leave out of. He felt some water or some sort of liquid on the floor. He looked down and saw a lot of blood on the ground that was now on his hands. He felt like he was going to throw up again, and he knew after today that his appetite would never be the same again. He stood up and look around to see if anybody was still alive. Sadly, they were all dead. Aston couldn’t even cry anymore. He just left the gym.

Aston went into the hallway and he felt completely alone. He always had Roxie with him and now he was truly alone. He didn’t know where she was, and she didn’t even know if she was still alive but he wouldn’t give up on her. As he walked around the school he thought of ways that he could get out of the school.

He heard a noise in the hallway, like a scream. He look in front of him and in back to see if he saw anybody. He heard the screaming again. Aston was freaked out. He started walking faster until her heard the screaming again from the intercom. The screaming was getting louder and louder. Balls started falling from the ceiling, and this time, they were falling everywhere. The balls were even falling from the corners of the hall. He tumbled his way through the hall and the balls kept on coming. Then the lights began to blink on and off again. Aston was struggling, everything was now amped up: the balls were hitting faster and harder, the screaming continued to get louder, and the lights were blinking faster. Aston couldn’t take it anymore. He went to a classroom door to see if it was unlocked. He opens the door and runs into the room. It was dark and he still heard the screams, but his eyes and his body felt much better.

“Hello?” Somebody called out. Aston walks more into the room to see who it was.

* * *

“ Warren! Warren! WARREN! Please put me down!” Roxie said as she beat on Warren back. Warren didn’t listen but she could hear him cursing.

Roxie thought I should be the one that’s angry. I’m getting carried to God Knows where and I’ve shot a person minutes ago.

Warren opens the door to the classroom and threw Roxie on the floor. Roxie fell face first and she hit her head. Roxie yelped in pain. She turned around to see Warren smiling over top of her.

“You’re gorgeous Roxie, Do you know that?” Warren asked Roxie as he gets on top of her. She turned her face in disgust. She didn’t want to face him. He yanked her face back towards his so she can look him in the eyes. He pulled her face with one hand and had the gun in the other.

“It’s a shame that you had stayed after school. You could have left but now I have to kill you. Roxie, this is just business and I’m sorry it had to be you.” He said trying to sound sincere but Roxie sees it as bull crap. He pointed the gun to her head. Roxie just looked at him. He smiled and then she kneed him in the privates. Warren let go of the gun and fell to her side. Roxie pushed the gun in the corner, got up, and ran out of the classroom. The balls were falling, the screaming was coming through the intercom and the lights are flicking on and off. Roxie tried to run as fast but she couldn’t the balls were pulling her down.

She heard a huge slam and she ran as fast as she could. There was no way she was going to go back. She look back to see if she was being followed, and out of nowhere, she fell into a hole. She landed on her feet but something crack in her ankle. She screamed but then she covered her mouth. She didn’t want Warren to hear where she was. She heard footsteps and saw a shadow at the top of the hole. She hid more into the corner of the hole making sure she wasn’t seen. The shadow began to walk forward, away from the hole.

Roxie breathed out. She turned on her little flashlight and looked at her ankle. The bone wasn’t out of place but it was swollen. She tried to walk but it hurt. She pointed the flashlight forward to see if anything was in the hole with her and notices it is a tunnel. She walked forward but she stepped on something. She looked down and saw bodies. She covered her mouth so she wouldn’t scream but she knew this was foul.

Roxie thought this might be a way out of here.

She wanted to walk through the tunnel but instead she had to go back into the school. She had to find someone first.